OTTAWA.-Pierre Théberge, Director of the National Gallery of Canada, announced the appointment of Greg Hill as its new Curator and head of the department of Indigenous Art, effective immediately.

Mr. Hill won the appointment after a national and international search. Since 2002 he has been the Assistant Curator, Contemporary Art at the National Gallery of Canada, specializing in the development and creation of collections of Aboriginal Art. Mr. Hill has over eleven years experience in national museum institutions in Canada, including his role as Curatorial Researcher for the First Peoples Hall project at the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

He has improved the collection of Aboriginal Art at the National Gallery with more than forty new acquisitions. He has presented acquisitions in the Contemporary Art Collection, including art works by Carl Beam, Norval Morrisseau, Alan Michelson, Joe Fafard, and many others. His curatorial experience includes an upcoming exhibition by Carl Beam, and recent exhibitions by Norval Morrisseau in 2006 and Robert Davidson in 2007.

Mr. Hill holds a Master of Arts Degree from the School of Canadian Studies – Northern and Native Studies, Carleton University. He also has a Bachelor of Fine Art (Honours) Degree from the University of Windsor.

“Greg Hill has participated in greatly increasing the representation of Aboriginal Art at the National Gallery of Canada, with the Art of This Land permanent installation in the Canadian and Aboriginal Art Galleries,” said Mr. Théberge. “His contributions in this area and our continuing emphasis on aboriginal art are recognized with the creation of this new position.”

As Curator of Indigenous Art at the National Gallery of Canada, Mr. Hill will develop new exhibitions of indigenous art, as well as research and acquisitions. Working under the direction of the Deputy Director and Chief Curator, the Curator will be responsible for the complete care of the collection of Indigenous Art. This includes First Nations, Métis, and Inuit art, with an emphasis on contemporary art from about 1980 to the present day.

“This is a well-deserved appointment for Greg Hill, and it recognizes the focus that we have on this area of our collections,” said David Franklin, Deputy Director and Chief Curator. “I am very pleased to have Greg leading our new Indigenous Art department.”